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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote control system for an electrically controlled sign. The system accepts input data in analog video, digital video, digital or similar forms, converts it to sign and control signals, and transmits the converted signal
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art display sign control systems have been technology dependent and have not provided sharply defined images when combining animation or other signals developed in a character generator and video. The problem arises when the sign control system attempts to fit the digitized version of the original analog character generator signal into the pixel matrix elements of the sign. Since there is not an exact match between the digitized version and the available pixels, the resulting output signal to the individual pixels varies from the optimum representation. The resulting display provided images in which the character generator output looked xe2x80x9cfuzzyxe2x80x9d.
Further, prior art sign control systems did not accommodate different sizes of signs, but were generally limited to a specific size and/or type of sign. The prior art systems did not always provide for the combination of live video, graphics, animation, real time data, information such as sports statistics, text information, or such features as instant replay. Prior art sign control systems usually represented a highly specialized, specific control system and did not use, as an example, an off-the-shelf personal computer as a primary element of the control system.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an advanced video display control system for displaying live video, graphics, animation, real time data, informational, such as sports statistics, text information, and instant replay, alone or in combinations.
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a dynamic sign control system including; a personal computer or similar device for supplying digital display data in a format which corresponds exactly to the pixels available in the sign, a video link controller, which accepts sign display data from the personal computer and other sources in a variety of analog and digital formats, generates clock and command signals which are converted and combined to provide sign data signals in a format suitable for transmission over a high speed data transmission link such as a fiber optic system to a data receiver and distributor, located at the sign site, which receives the transmitted signals and converts them into sign display device control signals for controlling the individual display (pixel) elements of the sign.
The video link controller, preferably implemented by a programmed personal computer and several special purpose cards, includes a control program executed on the personal computer, a video interface card having, for example, provisions for three composite video inputs and two S-video inputs, which may selected, processed and converted to digital form by a dedicated video processor, and sent, over a fiber optic cable, to the transmitter link control card, where the selected video signal may be combined with digital signals representing text, graphics, and other digital data signals provided from the personal computer, or other suitable source, over an RS232 interface line, where it is buffered prior to high speed optical transmission to the data receiver and distributor located in, or at the site of, the controlled sign. The transmitter link control card has an RS232 line interface which is connected to an RS232 output line of the personal computer. Depending on the commands received by the transmitter link control over the RS232 line, any one of the five video input lines, or the data signals provided to the RS232 input from the personal computer, may be individually selected for conversion and transmission to the data receiver and distributor through a fiber optic cable connected to a modulator which is driven by the selected signal.
Alternatively, in overlay mode, the data signals may be combined with a selected digitized video signal and sent to the data receiver and distributor through the fiber optic cable connected to a modulator which is driven by the combined signal.
It will be appreciated that, as previously mentioned, the digital display signals from the personal computer correspond exactly to the individual display elements of the sign.
The data receiver and distributor includes an optical sensor connected to the fiber optic cable, a receiver for converting the signals to digital form, a programmable logic array, a dedicated microprocessor for configuring the programmable logic array and executing commands sent to the device and contained in the programs which run on the microprocessor, a flash memory, which stores certain program data for use in configuring the system at start-up, a plurality of FIFO buffer devices, an EPROM memory for storing the configuration of the programmable logic arrays, and associated I/O devices for interfacing the receiver and distributor to the various input and output lines and devices. Typically, on power-up, the dedicated microprocessor will configure the programmable logic arrays and the output devices according to the program data stored in the flash memory.
The receiver and data distributor is configured according to data and display intensity dimming data supplied from the sign configuration selected from flash memory in response to the command signal portion of the TAXI signal sent to the data receiver and distributor from the video link controller over the fiber optic cable.
The receiver board receives a serial TAXI encoded signal, via the fiber optic cable, and uses the TAXI receiver chip to decode the signal. The TAXI signal includes two types of information: one is a command signal and the other is display data.
The command bytes are used to receive sign configuration data and display intensity dimming information. When new sign configuration information is received, the dedicated microprocessor activates the appropriate programming sequence, reads the selected sign configuration program out of FLASH, and programs the receiver board and the output cards. The display intensity dimming information is passed on to the output cards which then distribute it out throughout the display.
Display data is received and then organized to be passed on to the addressed output card address. The received display data is stored in the RAM located on the output cards.
The data receiver and distributor also includes an RS232 port that can be accessed from the personal computer to directly interact with the dedicated microprocessor, a light detector input for automatic display dimming, a relay output to control the display fans, and a fan/temperature detector input to blank the display in the case of a failure.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved remote controller for an electronic sign.
Another object of the invention is to provide a remote electronic sign controller including a personal computer.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a remote electronic sign controller having the ability to select from a variety of video inputs and transmit the selected video input in digital form to a remote sign.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a input remote electronic sign controller having the ability to combine a selected input from a variety of video inputs and data inputs, combine the selected inputs into a single composite digital signal for transmit the ability to combine a selected input from a variety of video inputs and data inputs, combine the selected inputs into a single composite digital signal for transmission to a remote sign location and transmit the single composite signal video to a remote sign over a high speed fiber optic cable.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a remote electronic sign controller having the ability to combine a selected input from a variety of video inputs and data inputs, combine the selected inputs into a single composite digital signal for transmission to a remote sign location and transmit the single composite signal video to a remote sign over a high speed fiber optic cable where the signal is received, buffered and distributed to the individual display elements of the electronic sign.
Still another object of the invention is to provide remote electronic sign controller having the ability to combine a selected input from a variety of video inputs and data inputs, combine the selected inputs into a single composite digital signal for transmission to a remote sign location and transmit the single composite signal video to a remote sign over a high speed fiber optic cable where the signal is received, buffered and distributed to the individual display elements of the electronic sign in accordance with a command signal representing the type of electronic sign being controlled.
Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following, more detailed, description of an embodiment of the invention.
The Venus 7000 also has the ability to communicate with the V-LINK through a standard COM port on the computer. Through this communication the Venus 7000 has the ability to control the video input selection on the V-LINK, as well as other display adjustments such as brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.
The VMAX3 transmitter card was developed by Daktronics to provide a means of transmitting large volumes of data from a control computer to the sign. It is designed to operate on a PCI bus. The transmitter card has a programmable logic device that is programmed. The card receives data through the PCI bus from software, such as the Venus 7000, and organizes it to send it out on a high speed serial line. A TAXI transmitter chip is used to make the 8 bit parallel to serial conversion at data rates up to and exceeding 175 Mbaud. This serial signal is transmitted out of the card via fiber optic cable.
The V-LINK II controller is a video interface to provide direct video capability to the VMAX3 display architecture. It is made up of two components: the video interface board and the V-LINK II board. The Video Processor board is a daughter card that is connected the V-LINK II through a header.
The Video interface board has three composite video inputs available and two S-video inputs. The video processor chip on the board receives these inputs, processes them and passes the information on to the V-LINK II board on a bus through the header.
The V-LINK II board has a VMAX3 fiber optic input that receives Venus display data. It also has an RS232 port that allows the V-LINK II to communicate with the Venus 7000. This port allows the Venus 7000 operator to select the display output to be a video input, a Venus input, or a video input with Venus data overlaid. Other display controls such as display brightness, contrast and saturation can be adjusted through this port.
The V-LINK II buffers both the Venus data and the video data as it is received. Depending on the configuration received from the RS232 port, the V-LINK II will either send out the buffered video data, the buffered Venus data, or in overlay mode, buffered data from both the video and the Venus data will be sent out. This data is output as a VMAX3 fiber optic output. This information is intended to be received by the data distributor in the sign. A composite video output of the data is also an option. The V-LINK(trademark) II controller has the ability to receive animation data from the Venus 7000 controller and can also receive data from multiple video sources. An input to the V-LINK II controller is used to select which input should be sent to the display. An additional feature is the ability to overlay the animation data from the Venus 7000 controller over the top of a video source digitally and send the combined information to the display.
The data distributor receiver board is a display technology independent component in the VMAX3 system. It is not a standalone unit. At least one data distributor output card must be used with the receiver board to function as a unit, typically located inside the display. The main components of the receiver board include the fiber optic receiver, the TAXI receiver chip, a programmable logic device, a microprocessor, FLASH memory, some FIFOs, an EPROM, and some I/O. On power up the processor programs the programmable logic devices on the receiver board, as well as the devices on the output cards. There is a different program for each technology type. These programs are all stored in the FLASH memory.
The output card is a display technology independent component in the VMAX3 system. It is not a standalone unit. It must be used in conjunction with the data distributor receiver board which is typically located inside the display. The output card uses a connection scheme that is mechanically similar to a PC104 connection, with a proprietary electrical connections, to connect to the data bus on the data distributor/receiver board. The output card has a 16 position rotary switch that sets the address of the card. This card address sets the data that this output card will receive from the data distributor/receiver board. This data is then stored into the on-board RAM.
The output card has two separate data outputs. Each of these outputs include four parallel output ports with identical data. Each output consists of two signal lines, one data line, and one encoded clock line. Additional data lines may be used in future designs. The output card generates an encoded clock signal which includes the following signals:
The output card generates these signals at a rate to ensure a display frame rate of 30 frames per second.
The dual line controller (DLC) is a component in the VMAX3 system that combines the functions of the line controller and the column director into one circuit. It is located inside the display. In some cases it may include the combination of several line controllers with a column director. It is a display technology dependent component that replaces the line controller and the column director for some display technologies. For more information regarding its function, refer to xe2x80x9cline controllerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccolumn director.xe2x80x9d
The column director (CD) is a technology independent component in the VMAX3 system located inside the display. Its primary function is to direct the data stream into the correct column of line controllers. Its function is implemented by a programmable logic device and some I/O components. The column director has one input and two outputs. Each of these I/O ports consists of two signal lines, one data line, and one encoded clock line. Additional data lines may be used in future designs. The encoded clock line contains a couple of signals that the column director decodes and uses. They are the column director latch and the frame latch.
The clock decode function watches the encoded clock line on the input port. It ignores the following encoded signals: the data clock, the command clock, and the line controller latch. When a column director latch is decoded, it triggers the output control function. When a frame latch is decoded, the output control function is reset.
The line controller OUT port on the column director passes data to the line controller. This is an unaltered data and clock from the input port.
The column director OUT port passes data on to the next column director. The data line is passed through unaltered from the input port. The encoded clock line is not allowed to pass the clock signal to the next column director until a column director latch is detected. The clock line will then pass through unaltered from the input port until the column director is reset. A reset takes place when a frame latch is detected.
The line controller (LC) is the component at the end of the VMAX3 data stream. It is located inside the display. The line controller receives serial data from the column director and retransmits it out to the next line controller. The line controller is made up from only a few core components including a programmable logic device, RAM and I/O components. The line controller is a technology dependent component in the VMAX3 system; therefore, several models of line controllers will be developed.
The input data is received serially on two signal lines, one data line, and one encoded clock line. Additional data lines may be used in future designs. The encoded clock line contains several signals that the line controller decodes and uses. They include a data clock, a command clock, a line controller latch, and a frame latch. The input function of the line controller uses this information to organize the data received and store it into RAM.
The output function of the line controller reads the data out of RAM and controls the display modules to look like the image that is currently stored in RAM. The methods to control the module vary depending on the display module technology.
The data stream is transmitted from the data distributor output cards to the dual line controller, the column director and the line controller. This data stream is the method to transmit all the data from the data distributor out to all the appropriate locations in the sign. This data stream is transmitted over a Category 5, RJ-45 cable with four twisted pairs of signal wire. This data stream consists of one encoded clock line signal and anywhere from one and three data signal lines. These signal lines are transmitted over a twisted pair in the cable as a RS-422 signal. The function of this encoded clock line would be a big part of this patent idea.
We have no configuration switches in our signs (auto configurable). The dual line controller provides great flexibility for manufacturing and for long term maintenance for the customer.
The dual line controller or line controller is the only technology dependent component in the VMAX3 system. The data distributor receiver card, the data distributor output card, the column director, the V-LINK II controller and the VMAX3 transmitter card are all completely technology independent. This means that the same electronics that are used to run a 16.7 million color RGB LED display can also be used to run a 16.7 million color incandescent display or a 256 color RG LED display, etc.
The data distributor is auto-configurable. The data distributor receives its configuration data from the Venus 7000 controller. The Venus 7000 controller sends command bytes over the VMAX3 fiber optic data transmission. The data distributor then reads these command bytes and configures itself appropriately. This configuration information includes technology type and sign size.
The display module is actually not a part of VMAX3, but needs to be explained to fully understand how the VMAX3 system interacts with the display. The display module is a technology dependent component which is a part of the actual display. The module contains the light emitting or reflecting components as well as the drive electronics required to activate each pixel in the module. The size of the module is determined by the technology. A 8xc3x9716, 8xc3x974, 8xc3x978, 16xc3x9732, and 16xc3x9716 (# pixels highxc3x97# pixels wide) are some examples of the resolution of a module, although others may be developed. The center/center spacing between pixels on the module may vary. The combination of the center/center spacing and the module resolution determine the physical size of the module.
The drive electronics for the module has been designed to receive and retransmit data using a shift register approach.
Module calibration and pixel to pixel calibration information is stored on each RGB LED driver board. When the system powers up, the dual line controller retrieves the calibration information from the module and stores it. This information is used to help the dual line controller drive the modules in a way that gives the display a nice consistent appearance. The dual line controller can receive an additional module intensity offset from the VMAX3 system to allow the operator some adjustment on a module by module basis.